Vehicles include a hood positioned at the front end of the vehicle to protect an engine of the vehicle and additional under hood components from external elements, such as rain. In some vehicles, the hood may include one or more vents (e.g., in the form of louvers) positioned on a top surface of the hood. These vents create a vented hood that allows airflow to enter and exit from underneath the hood. In one example, venting airflow from underneath the hood reduces an amount of lift on the vehicle, thereby increasing vehicle control (e.g., stability). Additionally, vented hoods allow increased airflow to the engine components (e.g., such as heat exchangers), thereby increasing cooling of the engine. However, the vents of the vented hood may also allow external elements, such as rain, to enter the vehicle, underneath the hood. This may result in degradation of engine components and electronics. In order to reduce engine degradation from rain entering via the vented hood, a rain tray (or rain guard) may be coupled to an underside of the vented hood, beneath one or more of the hood vents.
However, the inventors herein have recognized potential issues with such systems. As one example, when the rain tray is installed with the vented hood, the rain tray blocks at least a portion of the hood openings created by the vents, thereby reducing airflow to the engine. As a result, reduced engine cooling may be provided when the rain tray is coupled to the vented hood. Additionally, at higher vehicle speeds, an increased load (e.g., from entering airflow) may be applied to the rain tray and result in rain tray degradation. Further, if the rain tray is not mounted to the vents of the vented hood while the vehicle is operating (e.g., due to the vehicle operator removing it) and it begins to rain, engine degradation may occur.
In one example, the issues described above may be addressed by a method for, in response to a signal indicating that a rain tray is coupled within a vehicle, below a vent of a vented hood of the vehicle, maintaining a vehicle speed of the vehicle below a set vehicle speed threshold and alerting a vehicle operator of the set vehicle speed threshold. In this way, the engine may receive adequate cooling airflow while the rain tray is installed, while also reducing degradation of the engine due to rain and degradation of the rain tray due to increased vehicle speed and airflow.
As one example, in response to detecting that a rain tray is coupled within an under hood area of the vehicle, below a vent of a vented hood of the vehicle, a speed of the vehicle may be maintained below a set vehicle speed threshold. Additionally, a vehicle operator may be notified of the set vehicle speed threshold and/or that the vehicle speed is being maintained below the set vehicle speed threshold due to the rain tray being coupled with the vented hood. In one example, the set vehicle speed threshold may be a first vehicle speed threshold. In response to rain being detected at the vehicle, the set vehicle speed threshold may be decreased further to a second vehicle speed threshold which is lower than the first vehicle speed threshold. If the rain tray is not coupled with and/or below the vented hood (e.g., the vehicle operator removes the rain tray), the vehicle speed may not be limited based on the rain tray and/or rain and instead, the vehicle speed may be adjusted to an operator-demanded level. However, if rain is detected while the rain tray is not installed in the vehicle, the vehicle operator may be notified to install the rain tray underneath the vented hood in order to reduce degradation of engine components. In this way, engine degradation due to rain may be reduced while allowing a vehicle operator the option of driving with or without the rain tray. Additionally, by limiting vehicle speed while the rain tray is installed, a sufficient amount of cooling airflow may be delivered to the engine while also reducing degradation to the rain tray.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.